For Immediate Release
April 25, 2012
Regular Season Champions Place Five on All-Conference First Team
South Easton, Mass. – Southern Connecticut State University junior outfielder Brittany Bucko was named the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Softball Player of the Year it was announced today. The recipient is chosen on a vote by the conference's head coaches.
The conference also announced its other major award winners in the sport, as well as the selections for the First, Second, and Third Team All-Conference choices, and the members of the 2012 All-Rookie Team.
The Northeast-10 First Team features five members of the regular season champion So. Connecticut team, and is laden with upper classmen. Four seniors and seven juniors were among those selected to the thirteen-member NE-10 First Team.
Bucko helped lead the Owls to the Northeast-10 Regular Season title, and the number one seed in the 2012 NE-10 Softball Championship. So. Connecticut is currently 37-8, and finished the Northeast-10 Conference schedule with a record of 24-6.
Bucko was among the league leaders in a number of offensive categories and led the league in two-thirds of the 'Triple Crown' with a .430 batting average and 16 home runs. The junior also led the NE-10 in runs scored (60), and slugging percentage (.841).
She also ranked in the top ten in five other offensive categories: hits (2nd - 65), triples (tied for 5th – 3), runs batted in (tied for 7th – 34), stolen bases (tied for 6th – 13), and on base percentage (2nd - .494).
Bucko was also named to the Northeast-10 Conference First Team.
Assumption College's Jennifer Lowrey was named the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year. Lowrey helped lead the Greyhounds to a 28-15 record, including a 21-9 mark in NE-10 play, earning them the number three seed in the softball championship.
Lowrey is currently 14-7 with a 1.57 earned run average. Her 14 wins is currently seventh-best in the conference, and her ERA is second-best in the NE-10. Lowrey also has struck out 186 batters, which is also second-best and her 9.15 strikeouts per seven innings is tops in the league.
Last week, the senior hurler registered just the fourth perfect game in Assumption history against American International College. Lowrey was also tabbed a First-Team All-Conference selection.
Lowrey's teammate, freshman Jess DiPilato was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Rookie of the Year. The first year third basemen was among the league leaders in a number of offensive categories.
DiPilato currently has a .408 batting average, fifth-best in the league, and her three triples and .669 slugging percentage are also good for fifth-best in the NE-10. DiPilato also registered 53 hits, 28 runs batted in, and a .458 on base percentage in her first year in the league.
DiPilato was also a Second Team All-Conference selection, and she becomes the third straight Rookie of the Year from Assumption. DiPilato's teammates, Tanya Robidoux (2011) and Lauren Medeiros (2010) were recognized with the honor the last two years.
So. Connecticut head coach Lisa Barbaro was chosen as the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year by her peers. Barbaro led the Owls to the NE-10 regular season championship with a mark of 24-6 in league play. Following their win in the Quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Championship, So. Connecticut has a mark of 37-8, and will serve as the host for the conference's softball championship, which will take place Friday, April 27 – Sunday, April 29.
Barbaro, in her eighth year, has won at least 22 games each year she has been at So. Connecticut. The Owls also will be making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance when the field is announced later this month.
It's the first time Barbaro has won the award.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 5,500 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
2012 Northeast-10 Conference Softball All-Conference Teams
First Team Yr.
Pos. School Hometown
Jennifer Lowrey Sr. P Assumption Assonet, Mass.
Jayme Larson Sr. P So. Connecticut Aurora, Colo.
Stacy Pouliot Jr. C So. Connecticut Mystic, Conn
Kristin Whitley Jr. 1B So. Connecticut North Andover, Mass.
Kelsea Cheney Jr. 2B So. New Hampshire Abington, Mass.
Haley Marchand So. SS American Int'l Swansea, Mass.
Alyssa Downs Jr. 3B So. Connecticut Seymour, Conn.
Emily Dorko Jr. OF Adelphi Matamoras, Pa.
Shannon Angehr Sr. OF New Haven Levittown, N.Y.
Brittany Bucko Jr. OF So. Connecticut Wallington, N.J.
Olivia Reeves So. DP Saint Rose Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Elyssa Boris Sr. Util-Pitcher UMass Lowell Gardner, Mass.
Stephanie Belanger Jr. Util-Player American Int'l South Windsor,
Conn.
Second Team
Yr. Pos. School Hometown
Sarah Harrison So. P Le Moyne Cobleskill, N.Y.
Samantha Krantz Sr. P Stonehill Hampton Bays, N.Y.
Morgan Edmondson Sr. C Le Moyne Johnson City, N.Y.
Nicole Eisenmann Jr. 1B Stonehill East Bridgewater, Mass.
Kate Hoffman Jr. 2B So. Connecticut Orange, Conn.
Barb Shea Sr. SS Le Moyne Clifton Park, N.Y.
Jess DiPilato Fr. 3B Assumption Worcester, Mass.
Melissa Jalbert Jr. OF Assumption Gardner, Mass.
Amanda Barton Sr. OF So. New Hampshire Franklin, N.H.
Ariana Darcy Fr. OF UMass Lowell Wallkill, N.Y.
Jaclyn Giovannini So. DP Merrimack Plano, Texas
Lindsay McKillop So. DP Stonehill East Meadow, N.Y.
Katie Andrews So. Util-Pitcher Adelphi Dothan, Al.
Kelcie Cashel Sr. Util-Player Le Moyne Lacona, N.Y.
Third Team Yr.
Pos. School Hometown
Kelsey Cockrill Fr. P So. Connecticut Haymarket, Va.
Ali Maloof Fr. P So. New Hampshire Norwood, Mass.
Lauren Galavotti Jr. C Saint Anselm Marion, Mass.
Amanda Krier Sr. 1B Adelphi Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Lauren Medeiros Jr. 2B Assumption Seekonk, Mass.
Tawny Palmieri Jr. SS Merrimack Peabody, Mass.
Victoria Wink Fr. 3B Adelphi Seaford, N.Y.
Jaclyn Binstock Fr. OF Adelphi Centereach, N.Y.
Monique Gosselin Sr. OF Merrimack Lawrence, Mass.
Brittany Regis So. OF Saint Michael's Monroe, N.H.
Jessica Rosa Sr. DP So. Connecticut Wallingford, Conn.
Bethany Grimes So. Util-Pitcher American Int'l Terryville,
Conn.
Lauren Bell Sr. Util-Player Pace New Windsor, N.Y.
All-Rookie
Team Pos. School Hometown
Jaclyn Binstock OF Adelphi Centereach, N.Y.
Kayla Rieger OF Adelphi Anacortes, Wash.
Victoria Wink 3B Adelphi Seaford, N.Y.
Jess DiPilato 3B Assumption Worcester, Mass.
Ashley Impagliazzo 1B Assumption Glocester, R.I.
Ariana Darcy OF UMass Lowell Wallkill, N.Y.
Courtney Lanfranchi P UMass Lowell Burlington, Mass.
Jenn Post C/3B Merrimack Orange, Conn.
Jeane Drury * SS Pace Flanders, N.J.
Natalie Gellos C/1B Pace Seattle, Wash.
Hana Wright C Pace Hillsboro, Oregon
Kelsey Cockrill P So. Connecticut Haymarket, Va.
Ali Maloof P So. New Hampshire Norwood, Mass.
* Unanimous Selection
Player of the Year: Brittany Bucko, So.
Connecticut
Pitcher of the Year: Jennifer Lowrey,
Assumption
Rookie of the Year: Jess DiPilato, Assumption
Coach of the Year: Lisa Barbaro, So.
Connecticut
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